Take This To Heart
by Bring On The Rain
Summary: Yamanaka Ino has been abducted by pirates, and she discovers a surprising secret about her father. Piracy to her has been intolerable since it caused her whole life to go down hill some years ago. Pairings: InoX-Yet to be determined-... NaruHina?
1. With The Keys To The Cage

**I'm starting a new fic (obviously.)**

**Unfortunately, just when I thought that this idea had even the slightest bit of originality, I found several other Naruto pirate fan fictions. But it's fun to write about pirates, and Naruto! -So why not put them together?**

**Read it, and let me know what you think!**

**Pairings are... well, you'll just have to read it and find out, won't you? (Aka I haven't completely determined them just yet)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Naruto or any of it's characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto**._

**Chapter 1: With The Keys To The Cage...**

* * *

"Captain, we're nearing the shore now." A female pirate called down, clinging to a rope just underneath the crow's nest before climbing up the whole way.

The Captain of the Fifth Iris smirked as the beach came into his vision.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

His eyes held a determined, thoughtful look. "Positive." He made a gesture with his hand at the crew.

"All hands, prepare to go ashore! Remember mates, we're lookin' fer a pretty little blonde lady!"

* * *

The twenty-one year old female ran as fast as her thin legs could take her, but nearly in vain; she heard the shouting voices getting closer and closer with each passing second. She moved forward as quickly as she could through the brush of trees deep in the forest, and inhaled sharply when she tripped, falling face first in the dirt. Her tear-stained ivory cheeks glistened in the moonlight's rays that sneaked its way through the tall trees.

The sound of gunshots in the distance reached her ears and she gasped, struggling to push herself up, but paused when she heard what sounded like a sword being unsheathed behind her. She closed her eyes in misery and a single tear rolled down her face.

When she turned, she saw two men, one with white eyes, and the other with strange red tattoos on his face. Their rugged and unfashionable clothing told her that they were most definitely pirates. The one with the tattoos had his sword pointed down at her at an uncomfortably short distance from her face. He smiled deviously, revealing naturally fang-like teeth – not always unusual for a person – and spoke in a bold voice,

"Well, hello. What do we have here?" He took a step closer and she grimaced, crawling backward as far as she could until the trunk of a tree blocked her escape route.

"Looks like another 'Miss-Priss.' Get it over with, these high-ranking and top-notch snobs make me sick." The other one sneered. She couldn't give up just yet – she was in a life or death situation here! The white-eyed man turned away, "What are you waiting for? Dispose of her." He walked back into the brush and to where the raid had been occurring.

"Why are you here?" She spat out in frustration at the remaining man.

"Well for the glory and gold, of course, love." He approached her, kneeling down in front of her, "Pirates, Blondie. It's what we do. We plunge and raid until the world is ours." He said in an awed manner. "At least, that's what I'm supposed to tell you." His lips curved into a crooked smile as he spoke.

"Well what are you waiting for? Kill me, like your 'friend' demanded!" She kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall backward and onto the ground. He lifted himself to a sitting position and stared back at her with an expression unreadable to her. She simply glared back at him, knowing all too well that after that night, she would detest pirates for all eternity.

One minute she was sleeping peacefully in her family's mansion – her father was a well renowned nobleman and ship trader – and then the next, a crew of bastards were destroying, stealing and killing everything in sight. It was awful to experience such a thing. She wondered if her family was safe, only praying that it would be so.

For a moment, the pirate hesitated. She could tell that he was deciding between his options on what to do with her. He smirked, "Oh no, I don't think I'll be wanting to do that just yet." He pushed himself up off of the ground and dusted himself off as she cautiously stood as well. "Do you have a name, gorgeous?" He winked at her while sheathing his sword.

She didn't answer, but took this as an opportunity to attack. She screamed defiantly as she ran toward him, attempting to tackle him to the ground, but ending up in a rather uncomfortable position, with him having her pinned against a tree, one face only two inches from the other. "Do not take my mercy so lightly. There are a few among my crew who would have you killed on sight." He furrowed his eyebrows, looking slightly uneasy. She could feel his breath on her face, and she held her own until he released her, turning away and anxiously moving a hand through his messy brown hair.

"Why would you spare me? After all of those people you killed, why me?" She demanded, clenching her fists and taking a daring step toward him. "One life untouched does not reckon equal to the lives lost because of you on this night as an act of good will."

He turned quickly, a look of frustration crossing her features as he came face to face with her once more, grabbing her arm forcefully, "Do not assume me to be a mindless killing machine, miss. You ran as soon as we barged into your home, you don't know the whole story."

Her bright blue eyes glared straight into his dark brown ones, and soon enough, she found herself head-butting the man with all of her strength.

"Ow! Damnit!" He fell slightly backward and held his forehead as she ran hazily in pursuit of safety, only to run straight into a grinning man with a large, feathered hat. "Good evening, miss!" He yelled enthusiastically, tipping his hat in a greeting. A woman with pink tresses stood beside him, arms crossed and a small smile practically painted onto her face, on account of her expression never changed, not even when she turned the girl around and tied her arms with rope. "No need to fret, we won't hurt you on purpose." She whispered as she tightened the ropes. The prisoner grimaced, her wrists chafing against the ropes. _Not on purpose, eh... _She mused.

"Kiba! Retrieve the others. We're done here." The man in the hat commanded and walked away.

"Aye, Captain!" The man with the markings stole a glance toward the girl once more before he turned and ran in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Would you please just tell me where you're taking me?" She demanded as they dragged her down to the nearby beach.

"Oh, you'll see." The pink-haired girl chuckled as they exited the mass of trees and stepped onto sand.

The captive gasped when she saw a massive ship. It wasn't anything like the military's ships. Not to mention it was far more filthy. She'd never seen a real pirate ship before.

"It's the Fifth Iris, as Captain Naruto here so honorably dedicated to his predecessor before she died and left the ship and crew to him, who was her First Mate." The pirate woman spoke thoughtfully.

"Honor." The captive scoffed, "What honor is there in piracy?"

The woman with the pink tresses didn't reply, but instead pushed her into the long boat on the beach.

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the ship, they threw the girl onto the deck.

"What do you want with me?" She shouted to the Captain.

"We want nothing from you specifically, Yamanaka Ino." A voice spoke from behind. She turned to see a man with remarkably red hair and a Japanese symbol tattooed to his forehead.

"How do you know my name?" The girl demanded, straightening.

"We all do. You're the reason we're here." The pink haired girl cut in.

"Who are you, and why are you here for me?" She pleaded.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," Stated the Captain proudly, "and I'm here to settle a debt."

"Wait!" Ino cried as two men, one with his hair in a spiky black pony-tail, the other with spectacles, each grabbed one of her arms.

"Tch... Troublesome..." One of them said while Ino struggled to free herself from their grasp.

"Put her in the brig. Don't let her out until we're at open sea!" The pink haired woman shouted.

"What debt?" Ino continued to yell, "And why-" Her voice was muffled and could hardly be heard as the latch to the brig closed.

"This just doesn't seem right, Naruto."

"I know what I'm doing, Sakura. I'm doing it for Sasuke."

* * *

Ino screamed in frustration and stomped her feet in fury when they put her in a locked cell.

She hated feeling trapped. She'd basically been trapped all of her life, and now, being in a cell, it was much more uneasy for her.

She sat down with a rather depressing "Hmph" and wrapped her arms around her knees as she leaned against the wall of the filthy cell. She wrinkled her nose, smelling something unsavory of sorts. "Ugh, this whole room has an awful stench!" She hit her fists against the ground.

"M-Miss?" Ino heard a stammering voice, and glanced toward the cell next to her.

"Hinata!" She exclaimed and stood, moving closer until the bars stopped her. "Why did they take you?"

Hyuuga Hinata was Ino's maid, and long time best friend.

"W-Well..." The black-haired girl began, but stopped when they heard footsteps walk into the room.

The man, the one with the white eyes who wanted Ino killed, stepped in and took steady strides straight toward Hinata's cell.

"Well, _cousin_. Long time no see..."

_Cousin?_! _Well their eyes are awfully similar..._

More footsteps were heard and a growl emitted from the other side of the room.

"What the hell, Neji?!" The one called Kiba pointed an accusing finger at the other man, who simply raised a questioning brow in response.

"You nearly had me kill the very thing we came here for!" He yelled, his arm moved quickly, and was pointing now at Ino, "That would have ruined everything!"

"Ch," Neji crossed his arms, "How were we supposed to know she was the one? And besides, he began, stepping in front of Ino's cell, "She's alive, isn't she? So there's no need to shout, Inuzuka."

He then turned to Hinata, "As for you," a scowl appeared on his face, "I'll speak with you later. When there aren't any individuals listening in," he shot warning glance to Ino and soon enough, was out of the room.

Kiba stood there, still angry and taken aback at how much Neji really didn't mind the situation.

"Bastard." He muttered before exiting in a disappointed huff.

"Hinata, what the hell is going on?" Ino spoke as soon as it was just the two of them again, mentally noting that the crew of this ship did not maintain a high level of secrecy on their plans.

"I'm not sure, Miss."

"Hinata, don't call me Miss. We're friends. It's Ino. We're not at home, so right now, you're not my maid. And don't feed me that 'I know nothing' nonsense. That man is your cousin!"

"W-Well, yes... He is. His family died long ago, and he came to live with me, my father and my younger sister. He didn't like the way my father treated him, and so he ran away. This is the first time I've seen him, since." Hinata stared at the ground.

"Well I don't see why anyone would pick_ this_ as their career choice." Ino crossed her arms, disgusted. "_Piracy_ is distasteful."

Her friend did not reply, but only sank to the ground and held her knees, unsure of what else to do at that point.

They both lifted their heads when Sakura appeared, unlocking their cells, "You can go up on deck now."

Ino and Hinata both raised their eyebrows in question, "Why?" The blond asked.

"We're at open sea. Even if you did steal the long boat and escape, there's no way you'll find your way back home. "

When they followed Sakura on deck, Ino grabbed Hinata's hand protectively, noticing the fearful expression on the Hyuuga girl's face. All of the crew stopped working abruptly, their gazes cast upon the two unfamiliar women.

"Ladies," Captain Naruto, who now had his hat off (much to Ino's relief. It was a rather overwhelming accessory.) took a bow. "Miss. Yamanaka. And... I never caught your name," He hesitated when he locked gazes with Hinata, who blushed at seeing his handsome features and cerulean eyes.

"H-Hyuuga, Hinata."

At the sound of her last name, Naruto raised a curious brow and stole a glance toward Neji, "No doubt in relation to our own, Hyuuga Neji?" He asked politely, trying not to frighten the already neurotic girl any further.

She nodded timidly, and he stood straight and smiled at Neji, "Well that could be interesting! She'll stay on the ship with us, then!"

"As opposed to what; throwing her overboard?" Sakura cut in sarcastically, knowing that Naruto would never have thought of such a thing. For a pirate Captain, he was far too lenient toward people in general.

Ignoring her comment, Naruto took it upon himself to introduce both Ino and Hinata to the crew.

"I assume you've already met your captor, Sakura? She's my first mate, and right hand man." Naruto grinned sheepishly when Sakura raised a fist in anger, shouting threats at him for referring to her as a 'man.'

"Shikamaru and Shino over there are our gunners, being sure the cannons are cleaned, ready and armed for combat." He pointed to two the two men who had originally taken Ino to her cell. One with a spiky black pony tail, dark eyes, an "anti" symbol tattooed to his arm and a pipe in his mouth. He didn't greet them, but simply grumbled an inaudible reply and stared off into space. The other had spectacles, and a jacket with such a high collar that it covered half of his face. A large tarantula rested on his shoulder as he lifted his hand, "Yo."

"We also have an absent crew member, Sai, who isn't with us right now because he's gathering as much information as possible for our...quest."

"And I think you know who Neji is, Miss. Hyuuga." Naruto motioned to her cousin and she nodded, adding the fact that she told Ino who he was as well. "Well let's skip him then, shall we?" He gave Neji a teasing grin, who grunted and looked away, eyes narrowed in atrabilious discontent.

"There's Tenten and Lee; our weapons masters. Their titles are self explanatory." Naruto waved them off and Tenten smirked, twirling a knife in her hand.

"Gaara and Kankuro are in charge of the fitting of the vessel that is my ship. And their sister, Temari, is the sailing master; in charge of navigation. She sits up in the Crow's Nest a lot of the time, reading maps and compasses, along with whatever else she has to do up there." He blocked the sun with an arm as he stared up at Temari, who ignored the introduction, focused intently on a wrinkled leather map.

"There's Konohomaru, our cabin boy."

"And then there's Chouji. The cook. We couldn't survive without him. He's down in the mess room."

"And Kiba... Well, I, uh, don't exactly remember what Kiba does anymore." He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head to the side as he stared at his friend. Kiba growled and Sakura sighed, stepping in front of, and correcting her Captain, "Kiba is the deck hand; he is in charge of repairs and metal crafting on the ship. If you can break it, he can fix it."

Kiba gave Ino a crooked smile and sauntered right up to her, "We've met." He took a bow, "Inuzuka Kiba at your service, Ma'am." He lifted his head and winked at her before rising. A large dog barked and sat beside Kiba. The blond girl jumped slightly, startled. The animal seemed to have come out of nowhere. "This is Akamaru." He said as he scratched the dog behind his ears.

The blonde woman exhaled in disgust and turned to Naruto, "I don't have time for introductions and _friendly_ greetings."

A look of disappointment and slight annoyance crossed Kiba's features as he realized he was being ignored.

"You people act as though we're not prisoners on this ship! I demand to know why I'm here, and why you've robbed me of my home and family!" Ino tightened her fist, nails digging into her own flesh. She was about ready to go off on them but Hinata squeezed her hand, calming her vehement behavior.

Naruto sighed, turning, "If you want to know, come with me." He hesitated for a moment, "The both of you, of course." He nodded at Hinata in acknowledgment, causing the young woman to fidget uncomfortably. He was a remarkably handsome man, but he was a pirate!

He lead them to the side of the ship and leaned on the railing, staring out at the open sea.

Ino stood impatiently behind him, arms crossed and leaning to the side. She cleared her throat expectantly.

"Well... Okay, your father buys and sells merchant boats, right? And he owns several ship yards across the country?"

Ino nodded slowly and he continued, "Right, well, what you probably don't know is that your father isn't the man you think he is. He also buys and sells pirate ships, making deals with pirates and willing to get his hands on just about anything he can."

Ino, now absolutely offended, opened her mouth to speak, but Hinata grabbed her arm, shaking her head. With a short "Hmph," Ino allowed Naruto to finish speaking,

"Me and my best friend, Sasuke, worked for your father a few years back. And we looked up to him, in a way."

"Oh, get to the point." Ino snapped.

"Fine." Naruto's eyes narrowed briefly into a glare, "_Your_ _daddy_ traded _my_ friend away to settle a debt that he had to repay some powerful beings."

"How dare you!" She shrieked, tightening her fists, "Father would never do such a thing!"

"Well believe it. Because he did. These pirates that Sasuke is now forced to serve, are the most powerful and intimidating pirates that sail the seas today. And your father has a whole lot more money now than he did back when I worked for him. So he could easily buy my friend back."

"And...?"

"And so," He sighed, wishing Ino would just get it, "That's where you come in. I need you, so that we will have something to exchange for Sasuke."

"I don't believe you." Ino shook her head in disbelief.

"Come on, Ino-"

"Miss Yamanaka." She corrected, having no respect for this man, nor his _friends_.

"Miss Yamanaka," He repeated her words slowly. "Put yourself in my position for a moment. I'm not even sure whether Sasuke is safe - or even alive, for that matter - but if we have you, and if your father at least _leaks_ the slightest bit of information on his whereabouts, we can find him. And you can go free."

Ino was silent, knowing that if anyone ever traded_ Hinata_ as a slave, she would probably do the same thing as Naruto. She turned away and leaned against the railing beside him, her eyes stuck to the horizon. She didn't know what to believe.

She heard Naruto sigh, and his boots hitting the wooden deck told her that he had walked away.

Hinata touched Ino's arm in consolation. "Mis-...Ino." She said softly, "I'm sorry."

"I don't believe him - I can't!" She shook her head and closed her eyes, tears welling up. "It's not true." She sniffed.

"Oh, dear," Hinata muttered, pulling a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and handing it to Ino, who took it gratefully and dried the tears from her eyes.

"I don't know what's true or false anymore, Hina. But I'm glad to be here with you." Ino smiled, nearly giving the piece of cloth back, but stopping herself, recalling that it was covered in tears and mucus.

Hinata noticed this and giggled slightly. Ino joined in, letting out a short, quiet laugh.

* * *

Afternoon came fast, and the sun was high up in the air, it's rays blazing like an inferno down onto the ship.

Ino stood, leaning back against the wooden rails of the ship, facing the crew and watching them with curiosity as they worked and Hinata sat on the deck beside her, legs crossed and laying in front of her as to not put her dress in a compromising position, and leaning against the short wall beneath the railing.

Ino would never admit it, but in just the hours that she'd been a 'hostage' on that ship, she'd experienced more relieving freedom and relaxation than she had in her entire life of being the daughter of a nobleman.

She chuckled as she remembered her father taking her on a trading ship with him once - just once, though. It was so much fun, sailing out to sea. She was only a small child then, and was awed as she stared at the ocean. Her father had laughed at her expression and gently lifted her small body into the air, resting her on his shoulders.

She just couldn't imagine her father, Yamanaka Inoichi, being a cruel man, selling people into slavery. He _must_ have had good reason for it. Right?

Her thoughts were interrupted when her vision was blocked by a tan and purple haze. When she moved her hair out of the way, she saw the one that the captain introduced as Kankuro, eying her closely. She backed her head away as far as she could and scrunched her nose. Phew. His breath smelled of dung and garlic. "What are you doing!? Get away from me!" She pushed him away and slapped at him a couple of times to be sure he stayed a good distance away.

"That's a pretty dress." He ignored her and looked her over, and she couldn't tell whether he was just commenting on the attire or how she looked inside of it.

"It'd be prettier if it was a bit more _clean._" Another voice added with a chuckle, and Ino's eyes narrowed into a glare and landed on Kiba, who was holding a rope, adjusting a sail when he overheard the conversation. "Maybe you should do your job - which I just did, by the way - instead of flirting with the lovely lady, ey Kankuro? It's not my chore to cover for you."

She felt her cheeks warm slightly at his indication of her being a "lovely lady."

The man with the purple tattoos on his face gave Kiba a strange look when he patted him on the back, handing him the rope.

Ino scrutinized him as he sat down about five feet away from her. He was too busy sitting atop a barrel to notice her stare, trying to amend a rifle that had evidently been in two pieces. He didn't have a terrible appearance. In fact, if she ignored the tattered clothing and rugged, unwashed look about him, he was quite the looker.

"See anything you like?"

Ino jumped, startled and looked over to see Sakura with a smug smile gracing her features.

"N-No!" She shook her head, feeling her cheeks flush once more, "Not at all," her arms crossed and she tilted her head upwards slightly, "I would never consider an attraction to _pirates_."

Sakura released an irritated sigh, "Look, I've just about had it up to _here_ with your superior personality." She measured the height up to her neck with her hand, "Just because you have _money_, and a _noble_ title doesn't make you any more of a better person than us."

Ino's eyes widened at her remark. How dare she speak to her like that!

"In fact, I'd say say that solely depending on the fact that you've been _judging_ us this entire time could potentially make you worse," she crossed her arms.

"Well, excuse me, but aren't you the ones who _kidnapped_ me in the first place?" Ino's words were icy cold as they escaped her breath.

"Hey, hey!" Another voice called, "Will you two stop it?"

"Yeah, you're being loud and annoying. Troublesome women..." Another muttered.

"Miss Yamanaka," Naruto walked over to them politely, "Why don't you and Hinata follow Shikamaru into the crew's quarters. It's where you'll be staying for the remainder of our journey."

Ino's jaw dropped, "C-Crew's quarters!" A look appeared on her face as though she'd sniffed a terrible stench, "disgusting!"

"I-Ino, perhaps it's best to just do as they say." Hinata cut in. Kiba's attention was drawn away from the gun he was repairing to the scene that had been occurring.

"Hinata. You don't understand. I want to give these... these _people_ as hard a time as I possibly can, regardless of their reasons for kidnapping us to find their precious _Sasuke_--"

"That is, IT." Sakura shouted and clenched her fists, marching right up to Ino and pulling her arm back above her own shoulder, having every intention to punch the Yamanaka girl square in the jaw, but not before someone grabbed her arm just before she would thrust it forward.

"N-Neji!" Sakura said in surprise.

"Violence won't fix this damaged girl's way of living," He let go of Sakura and glared at Ino, who looked down at the ground in shame. A crowd had formed, and people were staring at her.

"I want to go home, Hinata-chan..." She choked, tears forming in her eyes. Hinata stood and grabbed Ino's wrist, "It'll be okay, Ino..." Hinata gained the courage and took the opportunity to narrow her eyes at Sakura and Neji in disappointment. "You _are_ the ones who kidnapped us." she sided with Ino, of course.

"It's true," Shikamaru stated, "if you were smart, you wouldn't expect her to be so nice to us." He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to leave, motioning for Ino and Hinata to follow him into the crew quarters. They did so, and were soon down underneath the deck.

"Yeah, I mean, come on. We _did _kidnap her, and are holding her against her will on our ship. I'd be a bitch too, if you'd done it to me," Temari joined in.

"And you'd probably fight back, heh," Kankuro added and Temari chuckled, nodding her head in agreement.

"As much as I'd like to defend you, Sakura-chan," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I agree. She doesn't understand our reasons, and we shouldn't expect her to. I want Sasuke back as much as you do. But I'm sure she's scared."

Sakura sighed, "You're right. I still don't understand her kind, though. Looking down on anyone without the same title as them."

Neji simply clicked his tongue and walked away.

* * *

Ino sat on a crate, slumped over with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting in her hands. Her blue eyes were fixated on the ground when someone waved a hand in front of her face.

How could her father do such a thing as to trade a living person away? She wouldn't believe it. She couldn't!

Her mind drifted to a day when she was little. She chuckled. The thought of pirates had been most exciting to her at the time...

_**Flashback**_

_"Daddy look!" the petite girl of no more than eleven years called over her shoulder, staring into a small cave that rested just above the beach, wonder filling her big blue eyes. "Do you think there's pirate treasure?" She looked up at her father who stepped beside her._

_"Can't be sure until you find out for yourself, can you?" He spoke in a mischievous tone, holding out his hand for her to take._

_She furrowed her brow, determination crossing her features as she reached up and firmly took his hand, pulling her father along with her as she stepped inside of the moist cave. She stopped abruptly, "Maybe we could come when I'm a little bit older." She spoke quietly, "After all, I wouldn't know what to do with all of that money at this age!" She would never admit that she was scared._

_He chuckled, nodding before turning back, "What's this?" His gaze fell to the floor and he crouched down to pick up a golden coin from the sand. "Pirate treasure, perhaps?" _

_Ino gasped in excitement before snatching the coin from his hands, "It must be!" Her expression was one of utmost glee. "Wouldn't it be fantastic to meet one, father? A pirate, I mean." She turned her head to the left to stare at him with wide eyes. _

_"It would, darling. It certainly would."_

_**End Of Flashback**_

"Oi, are you okay?" A somewhat raspy voice broke into her thoughts. The person knelt down in front of her, smiling broadly. "Ino-chan, right?" He spoke. He had tattooes of swirls on his face. Why these people had a fetish for unusual tattoos was beyond her knowledge.

"I'm Chouji! The best cook on the ship!" He said proudly and stood up straight, pointing to himself.

Ino sighed, tilting her head slightly to the left, nodding.

"You don't look so good." he said, standing straight and crossing his arms. His face lit up as an idea came to him, "I know just the thing to lift your spirits!" with that, he exited the room quickly.

She laughed quietly as she watched the chubby man leave. Her gaze fell to Hinata, who was being taught to play a board game called "Shogi" by Shikamaru, who looked absolutely bored. Ino could have sworn she'd seen him from somewhere.

Then it hit her.

"Hey, don't I know you?" She sat upright, pointing to Shikamaru, "You're that one lazy child. The son of my father's old business partner."

His eyes never moved from the game board as he nodded, "That's right."

"So you recognized me, too?"

A second nod was the only response she received from him this time.

"Why didn't you say anything? We used to be friends, you know."

_**Another Flashback**_

_"Want to play a game?"_

_"Nah, too troublesome..."_

_"Oh...well then can I join you?" _

_"Whatever. I don't own the grass."_

_The little girl sat atop the grassy hill next to the young boy who lay on his back_, _arms beneath his head as he stared up at the clouds. She tilted her head back, staring at the big blue sky._

_"Do you always do this?"_

_"Pretty much."_

_She fidgeted._

_"Well it's boring. We should play a game." She grabbed his arm and forced him up. He sighed and reluctantly cooperated with her, agreeing to play just one game. She grabbed his hand tight, dragging him down the hill toward the woods, where just past that, was the beach. He felt his cheeks warm slightly at the cute girl's touch, but he remained silent._

_"We're going to play pirates."_

_**End Of Another Flashback**_

"Too troublesome..." He replied, moving a piece on the Shogi board. Ino's eye twitched in frustration.

Hinata's expression was that of confusion as she stared at the board, "What does that mean?"

"It means I've won." He stood, leaving a defeated Hyuuga girl and stretching his arms out before yawning. He walked over to Ino and sat down next to her on the large, rectangular crate.

"I didn't want to say anything because piracy isn't exactly held in high regard where we're from, Ino." He looked bored. "My old man thinks I'm dead."

Ino looked surprised and she raised an eyebrow, "How did that happen?"

"I found these guys docked at a port in some dead-beat town while my father was there on business. I asked to join their crew, and I payed someone to tell him I was killed by pirates." He stated plainly.

Her jaw nearly dropped, "Why would you do that? Why would you want to be a part of _piracy_?" Her tone was sharp.

"I was kept on too tight a leash. My family was a drag, and my schedule was too busy all of the time."

Her eyes narrowed with curiosity as her gaze fell to the floor, "I see..." She, too, wanted to have that freedom at some point. But as the years went by, she began to detest pirates. Well, after she found out that her mother was killed by them, at least. That was only three years ago. And up until then, she always wanted to taste the adventure and excitement that came with being a pirate. But that was only a child's dream. And the reality was that pirates were scum. With the exception of Shikamaru, she thought. He didn't seem so bad.

Suddenly, everyone jumped with a start when Chouji burst the door open, holding a dish in his hand. "This will make you feel happy!" He shoved it into Ino's hands. She stared at the soup blankly. "What's in it?"

"That's a secret. Now try it!"

She hesitantly took a bite. The sensation in her taste buds was almost heavenly. "This is delicious, Chouji!" She said, smiling up at him.

"I knew you would like it!" He grinned proudly.

She giggled. She supposed Chouji wasn't so bad, either.

* * *

**Sooooooooo ya'll like it so far?**

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**Although it was quite entertaining to write, ****I need to determine whether I should continue this or not.**


	2. Stole The Queen From Her Bed

**I've decided, out of sheer entertainment for myself and the few people who reviewed, to continue writing this.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Naruto or any of it's characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto**._

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**Chapter 2: Stole The Queen From Her Bed**

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**Ino couldn't sleep. Not with the snoring and gurgling she'd heard coming from the crew members of the Fifth Iris. _Damn the crew quarters._ She thought. _I just won't sleep._ She kicked the thin wool blanket off of her, sitting up in the hammock. How did they expect her to be comfortable enough to fall asleep in this place? No matter, she wasn't tired anyhow.

She tiptoed out of the room carefully so to not wake anyone, grabbing the blanket on her way.

The last thing she needed was an angry slob breathing in her face.

She walked up the stairs and up deck. She heard the waves crash against the ship and hugged the blanket around herself as the wind blew her loose blonde hair around her face. She trudged up to the front end of the ship. The wind blew her hair back now as she stared out ahead. A storm was definitely headed their way. She watched as the lightning flashed across the sky. The thunder pounded in an eerie manner and she shivered, feeling the beat of her heart easing to a slow pace. She edged closer to the very front, leaning on the corner of the nose of the near violently rocking vessel.

"You could fall off, you know."

She recognized the voice almost immediately. After all, he hardly ever stopped talking.

"It'd be a shame if I did." She stared out at the dark clouds raging ahead. "You couldn't use me for your trade, _Captain_." A bitter whisper.

He was silent. She heard his footsteps against the wood as he inched closer behind.

"Ino..." He eventually said, sighing. "- I'm sorry - Miss Yamanaka... You know that's not all you are. And this is the only way."

"Can't if involve someone else?"

"No. My best guess would be that your father is the only one with knowledge of Sasuke's whereabouts."

"Your _best guess_..." Ino repeated coldly, turning toward him, her eyes flashing almost as furiously as she storm behind her. "And what if he doesn't know a thing, hmm? What then? What use will I be to _anyone_ then?"

"W-Well you're right. This could be all for nothing--"

"Exactly!"

"But it couldn't hurt to try."

"But it could! I hope you realize, sir, that you kidnapped two young women over your_ best guess_!"

He sighed. "Just... try to understand? I know we've been over this, but what if Hinata had been kinapped? You'd do the same, wouldn't you?" He let out a chuckle. "I can tell by your stubborn nature."

She fell into sullen silence, eyeing him with a torn stare. Frustrated tears brimmed her blue eyes and she sniffed, trying to keep from sobbing. It sounded awfully cheesy to her, but all she could think of was how badly she just wanted a hug. Her family was always very affectionate. 'You need ten hugs a day to stay healthy!', was always her motto. Well, until her mother died, that is. Things kind of went down hill from there.

As though he could read her mind, Naruto stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle embrace. Her eyes widened and she caught her breath. So the very man who held her against her will decided to hold her for comfort now? It didn't make sense, but she couldn't stop herself from leaning into him and crying into his shoulder. Not only for the sake of going home, but the scenery and setting reminded her of her mother, and how she'd passed away.

"She was a wonderful old lady." Naruto laughed softly after a few moments. Ino pulled away and stared up at him with a curious look, taking a step back.

"Your mother." He confirmed.

"You knew my--?"

"Yeah, I knew her. In fact, your father had introduced us on more than one occasion. That was before Sasuke..." his voice trailed off, but he was soon on subject again. "Anyways, I remember the two of them always joking about me one day meeting their daughter." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly; a hardly visible blush appearing on his cheeks. "I probably spent more time with your dad than _you_ did in the time that I worked for him - no offense - it's just, he was around a lot."

"That sounds like my dad..." Ino muttered. "A hard worker. But sometimes - just sometimes - forgetting the little important things." Her blue orbs averted to the ground. "I just can't imagine him doing something like _selling_ someone over a debt." A single tear rolled down her cheek. Naruto stared at her with an awkward expression. He knew that he was killing this girl inside, but he also knew that he just _had _to get Sasuke back. On the bright side, she hadn't completely pushed him away when he hugged her. So she must not have hated him _that_ much.

"It's freezing out here. You could catch a cold. You should get some sleep, as well." He said quietly, reaching up to wipe the tear from her jawline.

Ino would have drawn back, but froze at his touch. Her eyebrows soon knit together as she stared at him narrowly. She shivered at the cold, "You're right." She muttered and quickly moved to the side to pass him, and head back down below deck.

* * *

The next day brought on many surprises for Ino.

First off; she could have sworn she saw Hinata actually dare to make a pass at Naruto. That shy little Hyuuga girl had actually stepped out of her shell for five seconds. Unfortunately enough, Bold Hinata didn't live for very long. Naruto didn't notice her obvious attempts at flirting, which stooped her confidence level to a resounding zero.

Second; she hadn't seen Kiba all day. Not that she cared... Or did she? But that didn't matter. It was just surprising that he hadn't tried to talk to her.

And thirdly; everyone was so _friendly_. She discovered that the crew members actually wanted to make her _comfortable_ on the ship, as though she had been a guest - and not the captive that she really was.

And she didn't forget to take note of the fact that Temari had been glaring at her all day, and even more so when Ino was talking to Shikamaru at any point in time.

"Miss Ino!" Hinata shouted cheerfully as she sat herself at Ino's side, smiling brightly. That was another thing that bugged Ino; Hinata seemed so happy and at peace to be among pirates, like there was nothing wrong with them. Of course, Ino couldn't come up with any faults on the spot, but she would imagine that they had many.

Ino raised her eyebrows at Hinata in recognition.

"Ino, some of the crew is talking of having a little party tonight." She smiled. Ino's face was as unmoved as stone.

"And...?"

"And, well, I just wanted to let you know... I-I thought it might lighten your mood a bit."

Ino sighed. "Thanks Hinata..." A small smile crept onto her face.

"It sounds like fun..." Hinata suggested.

"Yeah, I suppose." Maybe it was just what she needed to loosen up around them a bit.

* * *

It was loud. Too loud. Ino sighed in frustration and rested her chin in her palm as she glanced about the room. Everyone was eating, and shouting. Food even flew across the room on occasion. Although it was expected from_ pirates_. But was it really necessary?

"So, Blondie," Kiba began as he sat himself down on a chair across from her, leaning forward, "is this anything like you expected?" he said loudly, as Naruto played a bagpipe and Temari forced Shikamaru to dance with her.

"It's_ exactly_ what I expected." she muttered, her eyes still set on the scene before her. Laughter and applause filled the room when the song ended. Naruto looked rather out of breath after blowing into the instrument for so long. Hinata stood by him, giggling softly at his dismay.

"Kiba-kun-n-n-n, dance with me!" a drunken Tenten came along and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the midst of the room as Naruto began to play once more. Despite her obvious detest for these people, Ino couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. Kiba looked awkward as Tenten flung herself around. Ino wasn't even sure if what she was doing was dancing, or attacking the air.

Out of nowhere, Chouji appeared and sat across from Ino where Kiba had previously been, "Come on, Ino. Have fun!"

"Fun?" Ino raised an eyebrow, her mood suddenly changing at the thought, "How am I supposed to have fun?" She sat up straight, now slightly annoyed, "I've been taken from my home and am forced to remain on this ship, against my will for who knows how long!" Her voice was louder than she had intended. The bagpipe stopped abruptly, and silence filled the room as every eye landed on her. "Hinata, how can you be so OK with this?" She said to her friend from across the room, "They kidnapped us! Don't you want to go home?"

Hinata spoke timidly, "W-well, Ino-san... I don't really have anything to go back to. You're here, after all. You're the only thing I have. A-And they aren't treating us terribly..." Her voice was shaky. It was true. Ino was the only person she had back home. But still, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

The blonde woman growled, directing her attention to Naruto and his crew. Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she attempted to seem angry, but she could feel tears stinging her eyes. She didn't hate them. She only wanted to go home. She turned quickly, stomping out, up the stairs and onto the deck.

The moonlight reflected on the ocean and big black mass of water sparkled as Ino leaned forward against the railing, her arms resting comfortably in front of her. The deck of the Fifth Iris was empty, as everyone was below deck, having a blast. It had only been two days since she'd been captured. Most of which were spent with her two new (and old) buddies, Chouji and Shikamaru. From what she could gather, some of the crew members weren't anything that she would expect from a pirate. But she knew that she still needed to be careful, even around her new found "friends." They were her captors, and so, they would always technically be the enemy.

She sighed, her blue eyes fixed on the moon, tear stained cheeks glistening in the light.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A voice spoke from behind.

Ino jumped and spun on her heels, holding her chest and trying to calm her fast beating heart. "Sakura! You startled me..." She gasped, wiping her eyes quickly. She hated it when anyone saw her cry. Now wasn't an exception.

"Look, Miss Yamanaka--"

Ino sighed, interrupting, "Just call me Ino. The truth is, I hate it when people use my last name when speaking to me."

"Ino." Sakura nodded, sighing and leaning against the railing beside her, "I know that you want to go home. And believe me, the last thing that any of us want to do is hurt you," she paused, laughing softly, "With the exception of the other day, of course. I apologize for that, by the way. It's just that... we hate being looked down upon."

She turned her head toward Ino, "You see, we're not the kind of pirates to kill or kidnap, or any of that. Stealing, of course, is a different story -- But anyways, we're all like a family here." She smiled weakly, "And when a member of our family is taken from us, we take desperate measures to get them back..." She hesitated, "We _need_ you. Please, help us get Sasuke back."

Ino was torn between hating these people, and actually somewhat _understanding_ them. As much as she wanted to help get their friend back, she couldn't just be OK with being kidnapped. That was a ridiculous thing to ask of her! And as much freedom as she had on the ship, able to roam around as she pleased, she still couldn't go home. Of course it bothered her!

"...If I help you get my father to buy Sasuke back, I can go home, right?" She questioned, maybe even considering it. It might be easier for Ino to convince her father to make a deal, than the pirates.

Sakura nodded.

"...I'll think about it."

"OK, great. That's fine." The pink haired woman said, "Thank you, Ino."

"Don't thank me just yet. I haven't decided on anything," an almost inaudible mutter came from the blonde.

"I know," Sakura smiled, "but you're also considering it. It kinda makes me start to believe I was wrong about you." With that, she walked away and back down the stairs beneath the deck.

Just as Sakura was out of sight, Ino turned back to lean on the railing, only to run into something hard, but soft at the same time. Expecting one of the perverted crew members of the Fifth Iris, only to lock eyes with someone rather unexpected, teal orbs staring into amethyst.

* * *

The festivities of the night had ended soon after Ino's scene. But no one had caught sight of her since. In fact, she didn't even appear to be on the ship.

It wasn't long before Naruto ordered a search of the entire ship to find Yamanaka Ino. When it was apparent that she wasn't on board, most of the crew figured she'd somehow escaped. But that possibility was irrelevant when they saw that the long boat was in its original place.

"Where could she have gone?" Hinata said, worry obvious in her tone.

"Maybe she threw herself overboard." Kankuro suggested, only to receive a hard glare from Naruto. "Hey, hey, it's a possibility. She didn't like it here." He put his hands up in feigned surrender.

"I was the last person to talk to her." Sakura said. "She considered helping us. And I just don't think she'd leave Hinata behind."

Naruto paced the deck, brainstorming. He stopped when he spotted something shiny near the wooden railing of his vessel. He picked it up. It was a necklace, the pendant shaped in a circle with a triangle in the midst of it. "I know this necklace. It's a Jashin symbol." He muttered.

Sakura observed from behind his shoulder and gasped, "So do I." She came around him and grabbed it from his hands, inspecting it. "It belongs to a member of..." she held her breath, nearly dropping it, "Akatsuki."

* * *

She struggled to get out of the man's grasp, but to no avail. He was far too strong.

"Let... me... go!" She shouted in between attempts to release herself. They had a potato bag over her head, and she could feel her claustrophobia kicking in. She was soon dropped onto hard wood, which she of course assumed to be a different ship than the Fifth Iris, considering they'd taken her on a long boat for a good amount of time. She reached up with her tied up hands and tore the bag off of her head, breathing heavily as her messy blonde locks tasseled about her face. She stood, glancing about the deck with paranoia, her heart almost pounding out of her chest. She found that she was on a much darker ship - in fact, the wood looked to be a faded black color. But she couldn't really tell in the darkness.

Her eyes fell on each one of the eight men that stood around her, watching her intently, some grinning, even. She noted passively that they were all wearing the same symbol on their sleeves. Red clouds. "Who are you?" She was surprised to find that her voice was hoarse. These men were more frightening than the ones of the Fifth Iris. In fact, she found herself wishing to be back on the vessel of her original captors. "Where am I?" She turned to look at each of them, when her eyes landed back onto the one who'd taken her in the first place.

She got a better look at him this time. His amethyst eyes danced with amusement as he stared down at her. His silver hair was combed back and he wore a ghastly choker around his neck.

"Sorry. Can't tell you that." He shrugged. "We haven't decided on a name for the ship just yet. Although I have some ideas... No one takes them into consideration." He shot a glare at one man specifically and Ino followed his gaze spotting a man with piercing green eyes, with red where the white should be. Ino shuddered at the sight of him. He had a mask covering the bottom half of his face and his stare was intense as he glared right back at the silver haired man.

The first man muttered a curse under his breath, but his attention was back on Ino soon enough. "Welcome to the vessel owned by none other than the Akatsuki!" He opened his arms to show off the ship, but Ino didn't take her neurotic stare away from him.

He sighed, dropping his hands to his side. He looked as though he was about to say something else but someone interrupted.

"Take her to the brig."

Ino's eyes flicked to the side and landed on a man with orange hair and enchanting gray eyes; they almost didn't look human. It looked as though he could hypnotize you with just one look. He had piercings all over his face. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as he stared at her indifferently.

The silver haired man groaned, "Why do I have to do everything?" He whined.

"Shut up, Hidan." The one with green eyes commanded.

"Fuck you, Kakuzu."

"Say another word, and I'll kill you."

"Enough. One of you, take her to the brig."

The one that they called Hidan sighed, "Alright, alright. We can't have Kakuzu bring her. He'll murder the bitch in cold blood." He grabbed Ino's bicep roughly and began to drag her away. Ino felt a vein pop in her head. What did he just call her? She wasn't about to let it go that easily. Out of impulse and anger, she kicked him in the gut. He held his stomach, letting go of her arm. "Fucking whore!" He gasped.

She took this as an opportunity and stomped right up to the orange haired man. "Why did you have me brought here?" She demanded, her fierce gaze set on his eyes.

"You are Yamanaka Ino, are you not?" He replied, his expression still unreadable. She nodded in response.

"We're trading you for money." Said Kakuzu plainly.

"What?" She spoke incredulously. "I'm going to be a slave?" She felt the fear grip her heart. She couldn't imagine a worse fate.

"No." Added another man, who had jet black hair and tired bags under his eyes. "We're going to return you to your father, in exchange for money."

"You see," Kakuzu began, "We're low on funds. And we figured, since you were already out here at open sea, we could use it to our advantage.

Ino sighed. Why did everyone want to use her for some kind of trade? This was getting ridiculous. Even so, the frightened expression on her face never softened.

"We have orders not to hurt you, un!" One blonde man shouted. Ino would have snickered in realization that his hair fell over his eyes the same way that hers did, only his was parted the other way, and she was far too engrossed with the situation at hand. His words brought a small amount of comfort to her, but didn't suffice to bring her to a comforted state.

The orange haired man nodded, "It's true. I've commanded that they don't lay a hand on you."

"Don't be afraid." A man with green hair spoke. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Half of his skin was white, and the other, black. How unnatural!

Hidan crossed his arms and coughed. Ino wished there was somewhere else that she could go, besides a cage. But she didn't think requesting a different view would please them, or that they'd even consider it for a second.

"What are you waiting for Hidan? Do as you're told."

Ino turned and gasped to see a man with blue skin, and shark-like teeth. Her mouth was agape at the sight of him.

"Fuck no." Hidan put his hands up. "I'm not touching her again."

"Fine." The blue man said. "Yamanaka. _Follow _Hidan into the brig."

"Or we'll kill you." Added Kakuzu, attaching his creepy eyes onto Ino. She heard Hidan snicker quietly.

She reluctantly obeyed, although they were told not to hurt her, some of these men still looked dangerously violent.

On the way down to the cellar, Hidan would not shut up about Kakuzu and him being a 'greedy blasphemous bastard'. And although it got annoying, it kept her from dwelling on the situation and bursting into tears.

"I was against this, you know." He said, holding the door to the cell open and gesturing for her to go in. She walked in and turned as he closed the door, raising an eyebrow at him through the bars. "Not for your sake." He shrugged. "People shouldn't be in the business of trading lives for money." He growled and walked away.

Ino sighed as she walked across the small area and sat against the wall. Yet again, she was in a prison. Why was this happening to her? Since when had she become so important and useful to anyone? She just wanted to become worthless again and go home. She felt a small pang of guilt when she thought of how mean she had been to Naruto and his crew. At least _they_ weren't the _Akatsuki_; some of the most feared and renowned pirates around, or so she's heard.

She sat, motionless for what seemed like hours when she heard a door slam and footsteps coming closer to the bars which kept her trapped. She stood, walking over to the iron bars and wrapping her hands around two of them as she peeked to the side. The blonde man that spoke earlier was walking toward her, smiling. Her eyes formed into a hard glare as her gaze followed him across the room. He stopped in front of her.

"Having a nice stay?" He teased, sticking his tongue out at her and tapping the tip of her nose with his index finger.

"Are you trying to be _funny_?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood, un." He grumbled, shrugging. "Thought you could use the company."

"As if I'd want your company."

"Fine." He folded his arms across his chest, "But don't say I didn't warn you. You're going to be in here for a while, un. And it'll get pretty damn lonesome."

"So be it." Ino scoffed, sitting back down in her spot against the wall.

He sneered and sat down on the floor in front of her cell, watching her indifferently.

"What?" She snapped.

"Nothing, un." He laughed. "It's just..." A shrug. "We look like we could be cousins, you and I." He pointed to himself, then to her, and back to himself again.

The side of her mouth twitched as she held in a small laugh of agreement.

"Ha!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "I almost made you laugh, didn't I? Un!"

"No!" Ino lied angrily. "G-Go away! Why are you still here?" She pouted, wanting to be left alone to sulk.

"Deidara-sempai?" A curious voice echoed through the room from the door, as a man with black hair and an orange mask walked in. "Can Tobi come talk, too?"

Deidara sighed, "The hell you can, Tobi. Go away."

"Tobi wants to talk to pretty girl, too!" He ignored the blonde man's request and sat down next to him, staring at Ino.

She felt her cheeks warm slightly at his enthusiastic comment. In each of the crews that had kidnapped her, there was always at least one that didn't seem so bad, she observed.

"Fine." Deidara crossed his arms and scowled.

"Come closer, pretty girl! Tobi is a good boy! He won't hurt you."

Ino smiled sheepishly, most of the feeling of anger had died down in her hours in that cell. It was nice to have a little company, though she'd never admit that. She stood slowly and walked over to the iron bars, sitting down in front of the other two to the point that the cell was the only thing keeping them out of reach.

"So tell Tobi something--oh wait! I know, Tobi will tell _you_ a spooky pirate story!" he said with much excitement. Ino saw a crooked smile appear on Deidara's face. Despite his obvious annoyance toward Tobi, he seemed to tolerate him enough.

Ino nodded. She couldn't help but smile at Tobi, regardless of the situation. She listened intently as he told his make-believe story in the most animated of ways.

A few minutes passed and Deidara yawned, "Is that all you've got?"

Tobi was silent for a moment. Ino couldn't identify his expression because of the mask. He suddenly jumped, startling her. "Pretty girl seemed to enjoy it!" He pointed at Ino.

"Is that so, un?" Deidara raised a golden eyebrow, directing his attention to Ino as he straightened his legs and leaned back, his arms holding him up. "Did you enjoy his story,_ pretty girl_?"

She giggled, "Very much, Tobi. Thank you. I'd be terrified in this cell, had I not been with you in this room." She would have been angry and standoffish, only Tobi seemed to lighten a mood quite easily. It almost made her forget where she was.

The clunking of boots reached their ears, reminding her, and they all stole a glance at the door.

"Oi, what the hell is going on here? Some kind of circle of trust?" Said Hidan as he rubbed the back of his neck, irritated.

"Yes, and you're not invited." Tobi crossed his arms.

"I never fucking said I wanted to be, asshole."

"Hidan, don't talk to Tobi like that." Deidara sighed, "He's like a kid, un."

"Why does she even bother talking to you two pricks, anyways?" He ignored Deidara's comment. "If I was her, I'd go ballistic just because of the damned situation. I have a bad feeling about this idea."

Ino opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get the chance.

"Leader-sama gets what leader-sama wants." Deidara said simply, his gaze falling on Ino. "Even if it means going against the will of a petite young girl."

"We should let her out!" Tobi cheered.

Hidan shook his head, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "Not a fucking chance."

"Honestly, where would I go?" Ino pleaded. "Back to the first people who kidnapped me? What would be the point in that?" Of course, she didn't add that she actually _did_ want to go back.

"No doubt your sense of direction is shit." Hidan spoke, opening his eyes, which held a glint of humor.

"Denying any chance of her escaping through other means." Deidara added.

"Exactly!"

"It just can't be done. Pein, Konan, Kakuzu and probably even Itachi would be pissed. As for the rest of us... well we really couldn't care any less where you roam." Hidan shook his head.

"Tobi cares!"

"Thank you for your input, Tobi..." Ino sighed, "But I'll just stay right here and wait until I get home."

A loud explosion rang throughout the vessel, making them shoot their heads up quickly, and Hidan cursed loudly.

"That might take a little longer than you think." Deidara winked at her and ran out of the room with Hidan and Tobi to see what the damage was, or if there was any danger.

Ino stood and gripped the bars, trying to get a clear view of the still open door. She heard voices shouting and guns firing frequently. Suddenly, someone came into her sight.

"Shikamaru!" She breathed in relief as he rushed to her and grabbed the bars, trying to figure out how to get her out of there.

"We've gotta get you out of here." He said, searching the room in haste for something. He spotted a glint of silver on the floor.

"A key!" He picked it up and stuck it into the lock. It fit perfectly. "That's convenient." He smiled and opened the door, freeing Ino, who gladly took his hand as he led her out of the room. It was almost _too_ convenient.

"How did you find me?" She whispered sharply as they pressed themselves against a wall on the way out, waiting for members of the Akatsuki to pass before heading out again.

"Whoever captured you was dumb enough to leave something behind. Naruto and Sakura knew whose it was almost immediately." He gripped her hand tightly, protectively, as they ran up the stairs, aiming to go up deck, until someone grabbed Ino's waist and pulled her back down. Shikamaru turned quickly, eyes widening.

"I hope you liked my gift." She could feel his breath on her neck and she shivered. "Can I have my key back now?" A pale hand extended passed her and opened toward Shikamaru, who hesitantly dropped the key into their palm. "Thank you." The person tightened their grip on her waist from behind, pulling her closer. "Good luck." He whispered into her ear.

"Y-You--" She began but stopped abruptly when she was pushed forward and back to Shikamaru, who caught her with ease. She turned and gasped.

"H-Hidan?" She said incredulously. Why would he, of all people, help her?

His lips curved into a wicked grin and he winked, "No shit, Sherlock." He shrugged. "Just don't expect this kind of thing next time." He turned away, rolling his eyes. "So I'll tell them I fuckin' shot and missed." He made it sound as though it wouldn't be surprising. Before she knew it, he was gone.

"Ino, let's go." Shikamaru said, grabbing her hand once more and they went up deck. Gunshots flew passed them and Ino squealed as Shikamaru dragged her across the ship and toward the Fifth Iris' long boat. From the looks of it, they tried, and failed, to sneak on board and recapture her.

"Hold it!" A voice called and they both turned. In a flash, they'd had Naruto, Sakura, Kiba and Tenten, all with knives to their throats. It appeared to be every crew member that Naruto had brought with him, along with Shikamaru.

Ino's heart nearly pounded out of her chest in fear as her eyes flicked from one Akatsuki member to another, and so on. They had them surrounded.

"Give us back the girl." A black haired man said calmly, holding his knife against Sakura's lean neck.

"D-Don't, Itachi! Naruto shouted, apparently knowing the man. "We need her!"

"For what?" The blue, shark-like man spoke.

"To get your brother back!" The captain of the Fifth Iris yelled at Itachi, trying to release himself from the blue man's grasp.

Itachi looked surprised for a moment, but his features fell back into a tense expression. "Isn't he with you?"

Ino was absolutely bewildered. This was the kidnapped Sasuke's brother?

"No. It's been a while since he has been, actually." Naruto replied weakly.

Itachi made a gesture, "Kisame, release him." And the blue fish man let go. "Explain."

"We need Ino to... to buy Sasuke back." He adjusted himself.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Her father sold Sasuke to Orochimaru. And we need him to buy him back. The only way to do that is to... to trade her."

"What?" Itachi looked angry now, he released Sakura and clenched his fists. He glared at Ino, ready to kill as he aimed his knife toward her.

"Itachi, no!" Sakura yelled.

"She's just his daughter. She had nothing to do with this." Naruto said quickly, looking worried.

"But we _do_ need her." said the pink haired girl.

So this was what she was now. Ino was just an item of trade so everyone could get what they wanted.

"Do I have any say in this?" She whined.

"No!" Everyone seemed to have said in unison, except Itachi, who continued to glare hateful daggers into her eyes. She was certain of it; he hated her for what her father had done to his brother.

"Itachi," Ino said quietly, taking a bold step toward him. "I want to help them get your brother back."

Everyone on the deck looked surprised.

"You do?" Naruto's voice was small. Ino turned to him and nodded, sure of it now. If she couldn't go home and be useless, then she would have to make some use of herself where she was now. Strange logic, yes. But it was enough to convince her of what had to be done. Also, she had a couple of hours to think in that cell.

Itachi still looked unmoved. "...Fine." He turned away. Ino could tell he cared for his brother, and maybe that was why she couldn't turn down the offer to help out.

"Oro-sama, huh?" A red haired man that Ino had not yet known the name of spoke. "I'm not surprised." He released Kiba, who growled and backed away quickly, immediately at Ino's side.

"Orochimaru is a buyer and seller of both vessels _and_ people - or slaves -" Kakuzu, who let go of Tenten, said. "For all anyone knows, Sasuke could be long gone and out of his reach by now. Time would be of the essence if you wished to get him back."

"There's no way we can stop now." Naruto said with determination. "Not after we've come so far. We'll stop at nothing."

"Leader-sama isn't going to be happy about this, Itachi." Said the red haired man.

"...We'll get Pein the money he wants, Sasori. But we'll do it by other means."

"He's going to be furious." said Kisame, crossing his arms. Pein was in his quarters. He already expected that it would be no problem for the Akatsuki to exterminate the intruders, so he didn't bother joining in. And Konan... well none of them really saw a lot of Konan. They'd always figured it safe to assume she was with Pein most of the time.

"What is this?" Speaking of whom...

"Eh? P-Pein-sama."

Pein walked across the ship from the door to his quarters. "Why are you releasing Yamanaka?" His voice was stern, angry, almost. No one was really sure how to explain it to him.

"They are searching for Itachi's brother." Sasori's deep voice finally said.

A raised eyebrow pressed him for more.

"...They need Yamanaka to get him back."

"...And?"

"And they're going to find my brother." Itachi cut in, his red eyes staring intensely at Pein.

"...She stays with us." The pierced man commanded.

Those in Naruto's party all looked worried. The Akatsuki were powerful. If they decided Ino would stay, then the rest of them could all die where they stood.

Regardless of Pein being the leader, Itachi walked up to him. "Leader-sama," he spoke boldly.

"We'll get you your money." Naruto pleaded.

"No." He said curtly. "She stays here. We will negotiate with her father about the boy." He turned away.

"How do we know you're not lying?!" Sakura called, clenching her fists.

"You don't."

"That's not good enough."

"...Then leave someone here with her, to be sure I stick to my word."

"How about the other way around, un?" Deidara, who suddenly appeared, looked amused.

Pein raised his eyebrows as he turned to him.

"I can see we're going to need to go through another meeting..." Kisame sighed.

* * *

**I made some adjustments to the Akatsuki's personalities... Of course... Some of them needed to be tweaked so to not be so murderously insane... (Take Hidan, for example. O.o) But their general persona is still in tact, I hope.  
**

**Okay, I have many possibilites for the Ino pairing... So I'm giving her moments with multiple people, but it doesn't mean that I've decided who she's going to end up with. Suggestions, people! Or should I shall be forced to set the element of surprise...  
**


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